Pop Culture

Dead Poets Society: Book or Movie?

Written by Ella Menapace

Dead Poets Society is a film released in 1989, directed by Peter Weir. It's a moving film about a group of boys who get inspired by their English teacher to go after their dreams, but who struggle to follow their aspirations under the restrictions of societal and familial expectations. The movie is emotional and truly beautiful with personal, loveable characters and a moving theme that many people can relate to. It is a completely original plot idea, and the first form of media for it was a movie. Strangely enough, the book came after!

Author N. H. Kleinbaum wrote the Dead Poets Society book in 2006. The book follows the exact story of the movie, changing only slight details. The book falls short, however, because of its hesitancy to stray from the original source. It's almost an exact copy and structurally, some of the pacing is weird. However, Kleinbaum is able to bring greater detail to the struggles of anxiety and self worth by adding inner monologues that we cannot get in the movie.

Overall, both the book and the movie are good. In my opinion, the movie is the better choice. It is truly perfect and is better to just see it in its original form. However, if you enjoy reading and like the movie enough, go ahead and read the book! It's short, having 166 pages total, and is a quick, easy read. Whether you want to read or watch it, Dead Poets Society is a fantastic choice.